Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-04-28


S4s Fsasefsuo Czyusizls.
The barksnffne Ctr q PApsste, whicn
arrived from Tahiti yesterday moruina,
brs1Rkt san .iontly fun details Of the
DuFninR of the steamer RaiM1as 20 sat-
sly the great eaEioGifg watch hsa been
feis N San ffaneisee ever HiEee the r.
eelvt Of Q meaRrs aeesant Of the disaster
. mouth aao.
The foIiswina cheers aud passengers
Of The fIl-fated vessel arrived on tie City
% Papse8s yesterday: OspG J. Yiereck.
First Odieer @. L. LeithoH, Second On
eer z GasntheF, Chisf EseinseT Fritz
Martin. Second EngineeT r. q. Amber
son, third Engineer Gustav Hoitz;
cook. l. Fasssn: steward. J. Heinz; fire.
men, Wilhelm Kirste. T. o. O. Vert
heisn aad Fritz HessleF. PAssenQers-
Mr.. johnson. nephew Of A. Crawford,
Of this city; MA SteFiek and Mr.. Briel.
German merchants. and . Kzuaka boy.
Captain Visrsek was seen BY 9 re-
psEter last niRhs- He tellsth following
story:
zm CAPTAINS sroKx.
The Raistea lsft this port on jan
uary S7tb. We bad q crew Of twenty
men, including officers, and there we're
-four passengers. We had smooth sail
ing up to she day Of the disaster.
About O'Clock on the morning Of Feb
ruaTy 18Th. / vas lying on q sofa 10 my
chartEo0m. when I was suddsnly
aroused BY . Wild cry Of IRE. ! huf-
RED on deck and found TIE deck houses
amidship enveloped N flames. The IRE
had iis origin on the starboard side Of
the steamer. near the room Of the sec
ond engineer. Owing to the presence
IN thst quarter OF q large quantity Of
combustlDie material IL became at once
evident 30 me that the vessel vas
doomed Almost before We became
aware Of our terrible situation aud be-
fore any Of my hasty orders could be
pct into execution, 500 cases of oil
which we're stored nsaF the center Of
the ship burst into fame. The heal vas
90 intense that we we're compelled
10 abondoa ali efforts 20 work
the pumps OF the IRE appara-
tas. and We gave our whole
attention TO hasfy preparations TO leave
the ship. The lifebosts we're lowered
away as qaiekly a. possible. We bur
Fied the passengers into one of them and
the officers and crew into the other, and
pushed away from the blazing ship net
q moment too soon, for the masts were
threatening 70 fall every minute. In our
hurried leave-takinQ little attention
could be given 10 elothinR and food sup
plies. and II was only through fortu-
nate Circumstance that We escaped star
vAtien. Il has always been my practice
10 carry small supply of biscuits and
water IN the lifeboats az q provision
against emergencies. This small supply
vas all thas saved our lives. Irsti0ned
IL cut TO the men, giving each q biscuit
and two tablespOonfuls Of water a day
for the Ave days Of our pefilous trip.
From the time of leaving the ship the
tWo boats we're kept close together and
We roved for our lives. Small sails we're
inprovised from the paFu clothes worn
BY the Kanakas, bat We did not stop the
oars fer moment for five long days and
nights.
A SAIL SIGHTED.
"OD the evening Of the first day We
sighted veseel and pulled with might
aBd main to reach point near enough
nal of distress. She did not see as,
however, and steered away, leaving as
alone and almost hopeless on the toss
lux NN<ts w HAGEAG8 Oy t40 3A3AH III TIC
Southern Gross and made for the Tou-
muto group Of islands, which knew
we're about 200 miles distant from bear
inRs had taken on the 18th.
"On the fifth day We came In sight Of
the coral island Reiroa, one Of the lou
muto group. We effected a safe land
ing through lagoon. and found a num-
Der Of natives near the settlement of
Tipito. They divided with as q rather
soanty store of eoeoauut and fsh, and
gave as some clothes with which to pro-
tect Us from the burning sun. We re-
manned ct Tipito twelve days and then
went 10 Ayatono. tovn about twelve
miles away, where We found quite
number of traders.
A Frenohman at Avatona owned q one
masted cutter Of twenty tons burden, in
which We arranged 10 take passage for
Tahiti. We reached Papeete, the prin-
eipal tewn of Tahiti, on the 81 Of
March. On the 14th the City OF Papeete
set sail for San Francisco and We took
passage with Der. With all the suffering
and distress endured by us on the terri
bic trip, but one life was lost. Mr..
Prisl, one Of the passengers. was so
crazed BY fright that be died on the day
after leaving the burning ship"
Captain Viereck has been exonerated
from all blame by the German Oonsul
at Tahiti, who held an. investigation
conceraing the burning Of the steamer.
A FKKMAN's ooMPLArNTs.
A Cbr0niels reporter interviewed Otto
Wsrtheim, q fireman on board the
steamer Raiatea, yesterday. He said he
saw no water tarned upon the flames of
the burninR vessel. With regard to the
origin Of the fire, be thought It must
have been from the oveEturninR or ex-
piosiou of an oil stove. wAich he learned
was used In the night by the engineers
for making ceffee. He complained Of
the treatment received from the officers
of the Raiatea at Papeete, and alse of
the indifference of the German Consul
there TO the comfort Of the shipwreeked
crew. They were put In an unfurnished
hotel 20 sleep. and. When they asked for
some bedding, we're told 10 sleep on the
door. There they we're beseiRed by
iewd and riotous women, 30 that be Iaft
the hotel disguised. and finally sue
coed in Ending quiet, decent resting
place for himself. A subscription was
made for them end each man received
$40 as the result, bat they could get no
more clothing for that amount there
than fer 81 here. weFtheim said he
shipped IN San Francisco and vas glad
enough 70 get bsck 10 this city. ID Was